Should Men Wear Makeup?

The popularity of men's products has brought forth a new generation of cosmetics for men. Beyond swanky moisturizers and shaving creams, new and old companies alike now offer a scandalous assortment of goods that tailor to the new male vanity. We are talking concealers, foundations, skin toners, and bronzers, words that until now have been nonexistent in the male lexicon. You'll even find "sun tone enhancers," pigment powders that give a man a fresh "sunburn look" that suggests he spent the day playing sports outdoors. This all happened too quickly, and there's no telling how much it's going to grow.

While James and other men of his ilk may squirm at this new breed of ornamental men, it is something they will have to learn to live with. The metrosexual is growing in numbers, and it might be more than a passing trend.

no longer just for gender-benders

NPD Group, a market information company, revealed that men in America spent $1 billion in grooming products in 2002, skincare alone covering $47 million of that. This is a 9% increase since 2000. More telling still was a survey that showed 9 in 10 men asserting that grooming is a business essential, while half of those thought there was nothing wrong with a man getting a facial or manicure. These numbers rival those of our European brothers who are typically regarded as more fashionable; 40% of European men buy skincare products (the most popular product being moisturizer).

In an age where looks have a mounting importance in the social sphere, it is hardly surprising that men are paying more attention to their appearance. But is there a line between simple grooming and all-out cosmetic use? And does crossing that line place you in a new category of manhood?

Traditional manhood, that of the strong, silent type glamorized by the likes of Humphrey Bogart and Gary Cooper, has been threatened since the '70s and '80s by the emergence of SNAGs. These Sensitive New Age Guys have heeded the constant female pleas for men to be more sensitive. In doing so, they assumed more feminine traits of sharing their feelings and spending more time in front of the mirror.

This new generation of sensitive men may very well be the balancing force in the scales of gender roles. While women assert their presence in the workplace, trading in the apron for the power suit, it seems oddly appropriate that men should saunter in the other direction. Furthermore, current notions dictate that feminine values are pure and admirable, while masculinity is brutish and obtuse. So being a chick is in , and physical vanity is the obvious place to start.